Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-08
NOTABLES IN NEW YORK.
Cummings.Hal PEN Sketches,
SOME POINTS ABOUT GRADY-GOTHAM MAGNATEs-
MONEY AND BRAINS AND THEIR INFLUENCE IN LIFE.

SOME POINTS ABOUT GRADY-GorHAM xAeNArEs-
MONEY AND BRAINS AND THEIR INFLUENCE IN LIFE.
Special Correspondence of THE EVENING STAR
| NEW YORK, JAN 2, 1887.
BRILLIANT JOURNALIST.
The echoes Of Henry W. Grady'S speech at the
New England dinner are still reverberating in the
south and west Grady, however, won fame long
before fame made him famous 1t was Grady who
wrote the mastery description and subtle analysis
Of the character Of that rough old rock of the re-
bellion, Robert Toombs, copied throughout the
length and breadth OF the Union seven or eight
years ago. He is also the author of the marvel
lous story Of the Daniel boys which excited the
interest OF a nation over year ago. Grady it Is
who six weeks ago so thrillingly described the at
tempt to lassO hog in the streets OF Atlanta
The truth is that, as writer, he is systematically
versatile He tacklesa gander-pulling, states
man ana Young Mems Christian association with
"king SolOmons Mines" Georgia Scenes" and
Whateey's elements OF Logic" His intuitions
faculties He astonshed the New England Yam
KEGS, because he was the first specimen OF a
| superior to one OF the New England breed as q
terrapin Is to mud turtle: Grady displayed head,
self-contro, wit, tact and horse-sense combined,
ma company where the latter ingredient is usu-
ally lacking: Beyond all this he had something
10 say and he took three days to think over it be-
fore he said it. When he did say it, his manner
| showed that he meant 1t from the bottom of his
aeard To illume his line OF thought, Imagination
| anu d1ct1On came to him on the wings of inSpira-
| ZION. The Self-made nabobs OF New England birth
ana i, the intellects ,perfumed in the air Of New
| delight. He went for them In lists of their own
choosing, and he endorsed them with une1-
| ampled ease and earnestneSs.
first met Grady over five years ago. 1t was at
tne YORKTOWN centennial. had heard many an
intellectual tidbit credited to him, and studied
MIN with some interest. He was as smooth-faced
ana as Wen knit as Thomas F. Grady, Of New York
city, put there the similarity ends Thomas Fran
eis o mas eyes the color OF cedar berries Henry
mas moustache, although Silver-tongued Tom
fancies he has one. The New York Grady moves
as though stirred by electric impulses. The
Grady OF the Empire state of the north has a
roseate complexion, sandy hair and full eyes;
| tne Grady or the Empire state OF the south has
PACK mar, rather small eyes and the complexion
OF a Johnny" In the last years of the war. One
CENTER" which gives him piquant expression
OF c0untenance when In the heat of conversation,
ana recalls the eyes OF the late Erastus Brooks.
he talks Wei, rafting along without effort, and
he Is never at loss for word. Interest Is ex-
cited naturally, and is increased by quaint
d'rotted." At times, however. Grady takes on a
| foreign polish, which heightens the effect OF his
georgia dialect While at Yorktown heard him
tell powdered graduate OF the naval academy
with what sang Jroid he got shut of tnsouciant
sscT0nger, VINO sprang from the old regime in a
| tacky section or country once occupied by the
| Uiete nObtesse OF the ab0rignesr
In yorktown Grady was as active as
| YELLOW JACKET IN SUGAR CAsK
| Half the time he seemed TO be running the show
| on sea and on shore, and the other he devoted to
descriptive dispatches for his newspaper. When
you could find him nowhere else he was sure IN be
| hanging around two cannon owned by the Ogle-
| thorpe Guards, OF Savannah. They were revOlu-
tionary guns, buried after the fall OF Pulaski and
| uneaTtned after the English fleet had borne the
| last red-cOit beyond lybee Such Is my recollec-
ZION. Grady,s patriotism was so acute that he
could not talk ten minutes without recurring to
| these guns. He showed them to Connecticut
| regiment while in Yorktown and seemed surprised
because the regiment did not fall down and wor-
| ship them. The Yankees were equally chagrined
| When they exhibited Israel Putnams saber and
| were asked what corps Old Putnam u, longed TO-"
l last met Grady three days before his celebrated
| speech. He was as musical mocking bird and
| as bright as button He embodied his newspaper
experience In series OF hOmiies that would have
| done credit TO Ben Franklin. These homiieo were
| rammed home with stories quaint and original
| that the hearers shook with laughter Nor was
NE Ng In the art OF "chang an art In
| gave as good as was sent, and held his own with
| the l1ghtnesS OF heart Oh genuine descendant OF
Sir Lucius O'Irigger 1t IS Lair to Say, however,
| that he was not pltted against Joseph Howard, IT,
What interested me more than ali else was
| HIS STORY OF HIS NEWSPAPER EXPERIENCE
| In New YORK. 1t was some time after The war;
The south was so poor that he put to New York in
| search OF living. He put up at the Aston house
| and Travelled over to the Herald Office. Tom Con-
| merry received him kindly. Grady gave him an in
side view OF Georgia politics, and Connery asked
him to write an article about it, He wrote two
columns in dashing style and was overjoyed to
| find 1t printed on the following morning He
waited that day In the anteroom OF the Herald Of
nee from y a. L. TO p. III. before Mr. COnnery ap-
peared. The article was praised, but nothing was
said about pay, and the Georgian was too modest
| 10 mention IL. He applied lor the post OF Heruld
correspondent at Atlanta. Connery replied that
| the Herald had no saiaTied correspondents In the
south but tina! Il he wanted ANYTHING from At
| ianCa he would telegraph him. Meantime he was
at liberty to pick up what news he could and for
ward It at space rates Back went poor Grady to
to pay his hotel bill and to buy a
return ticket. SO poor was he that
he went home without mouthful to eat between
| this city and Atlanta. He kept the Heruld posted
! on Georgia news, however, and at the end OF the
month received small check for his services in
Astor house. One day he received telegram from
Mr.. Connery, asking him TO ascertain whether a
certain man was registered at any Atlanta
hotel He found no such name on the registers
Then he wondered why they wanted to get track
OF the man. He went over the Old flies OF the
Herald and learned that the man had been mixed
up In some Cuban trouble, and had left Havana a
fortnight back on a Charleston steamer Grady
reasoned that he would be more apt TO run tn New
Orleans from Charleston than to Atlanta He tel
| egraphed to friend In New Orleans who diScOy-
cred the person wanted. Grady sent this dispatch
| to COnnery.
"Ioul ulan Is registered at the St. Charles hotel,
| New Orleans"
The New York editor was astounded. He had
received the reply Within six hours OF the time OF
| the inquiry. From that day Grady's fortunes be-
| gan to rise. He made over S6 600 on the Herald
alone that year. With true Georgia grit he after
| wards secured fOOthOld on the Atlanta Coasttn-
ton and tickled the people OF the gun states until
| the hour came for him to aSJOniSh the Yankees
| living In New York city.
GOLDEN LAY-FIGURES.
| accidentally ran into two hundred million dol
lars in small jewelry store on 9Th avenue a few
days ago. 1t was more than two hundred million.
now that think OF it, for there were three men in
| the group, the Oldest was Mr.. Cornelius Wander
| bllt, who was pale, clerical and solemn looking
| with a pleasant expression OF the eye and ten
dency to lean against posts and show cases He
| stood with his hands thrust into his troWser,s
pockets and was rejOiced TO see that ali of his
millions could not Keep his trousers from baggnU
| at the knees Beside him stood his brother Nm
K vanderbilt, IN the most irreprOachab bic OF Eng.
iishclothes with his mutton-chop whiskers brushed
| back from a weak but gOod-natured lace. Between
the two men, chatting am1aDiy with them was
| DR.. Seward Webb who married the Youngest
daughter OF the late WIN. Ii. Vanderbilt DR. Wehh
Is the most popular OF the men who have married
into this family. The three men represented a
| vast amount of money, but they were exceedingly
commonplace In appearance, and the jeweer after
| wards told me that they spent that day exactly
| twenty-five cents for new crystal for Cornelius
| notable was the influence which great New York
| family like the Vanderbilts possess. Take Dr. sew
ard Webb. Tor instance. He Was surgeon in ST
Luke'S hospital when Old Mrs. Vanderbilt took her
daughter there one day on visit of charity to
| the sick The daughter fell in love with the
young surgeon, married him, and on the death
| OF William H., Doctor Webb inherited ten million
dollars and an interest in the main portion OF the
estate. He became president Of one of the largest
n-fAy m a frant